> Tonight on NJ Spotlight News - Menedez forced out?

>> Could efforts underway in Washington and Trenton push the embattled senior senator out?

>> It is for the sake of the people's business that we have the undivided attention of the officeholder on the tasks ahead.

Briana: Tom Malinowski ways in on Menendez and raises red flags about funding for Egypt.

>> it does cast a cloud of suspicion on the decisions that the Senate was making at the time.

Briana: Protecting farmworkers.

>> Farmworkers are 35 times are likely to die of heat than other workers.

Briana: Federal legislation to guard against rising temperatures in the garden state.

St. Joseph's Hospital in Patterson incorporating a little fun to help children battling illness.

>> The child needs to be healed in various aspects.

Not just the body, but the mind and the spirit.

Joana: NJ Spotlight news begins right now.

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♪ Announcer: From NJ PBS this is NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi.

Joana: Thank you for joining us.

I'm Joanna Gagis in for Brianna Vannozzi.

The calls continue to grow for Senator Bob Menendez to resign.

At this point, more than half of the Senate Democratic caucus calling for him to step aside even after he addressed colleagues in a private meeting yesterday.

And Sylvania Senator John Fetterman has said he would consider an expulsion resolution against him, forcing him out if he won't resign.

Such a move has not been made in more than 160 years and would require two thirds of the Senate.

That does not look likely as there are several Democratic senators including Chuck Schumer insisting the legal process should play out and Menendez should have the chance to defend himself.

In New Jersey, one Republican is proposing a ballot question that would work why your Menendez or any politician to resign under such circumstances.

Brenda Flanagan takes a look at who is weighing in on which side and what it all means for the balance of power in Washington.

>> Senator Bob Menendez defended his adamant refusal to resign during a closed-door caucus in Washington yesterday.

He wants Senate Democrats support after more than half of them urged him to step down including Cory Booker.

Menendez knows the value of his view -- his vote at his tone was anything but apologetic.

>> [INDISCERNIBLE] >> Senate Democrats hold a razor thin 51% margin and the death of Dianne Feinstein only underscores the problematic political math.

>> obviously, today's news about Dianne Feinstein changes the calculation, literally.

Now they have to be even more concerned about losing the numbers they need to push through anything.

>> Rutgers' Kelly Ditmars says this might buy Menendez short-term relief from John Fetterman who has not all -- who has said he would vote to expel his fellow Democrat from the Senate.

>> I actually wonder what this will mean for some of the messaging around Senator Menendez and the pressure on him to resign.

It wouldn't be surprising if some of that slows down and so we have a replacement for Senator Feinstein.

>> in -- some imminent liability, imminent political damage.

If Schumer were to go to him and say your cost -- your costing of's support.

Or if Murphy would say the legislature worry risk.

There is nothing that is going to back him out of finishing out his term.

>> Michael Rasmussen says the Senate has only expelled one member since the Civil War.

Menendez is facing a second federal corruption charge, the first ended in a hung jury.

>> to have a U.S. senator under indictment like this again and very little being done about it all -- it's simply not enough.

>> John DeMeo dug out a 2008 resolution that had let voters amend the state constitution so indicted elected officials would be suspended for office -- suspended from office until charges are dismissed, the person is acquitted, or the person is convicted.

The Republican says Menendez can't properly serve jersey while fighting charges.

>> he was indicted he went to trial.

He didn't resign.

>> I understand, but he still couldn't do the job.

>> DeMeo says it would be up to the governor to select an interim replacement for a senator.

Governor Murphy, who called for Menendez to step down just hours after the indictment was unsealed, won't comment.

>> you are innocent until proven guilty.

Even in my statement asking for Menendez to resign, we made that point.

I want to speculate on any potential legislation.

>> Rast mucin believes it would take a federal constitutional amendment to mothball a senator.

For now, folks on both sides of the aisle are resigned, except Menendez.

>> The bribery and corruption charges against Bob Menendez include allegation he used his influence on Capitol Hill to benefit the Egyptian government.

Those charges have brought into the focus the billions in funding the U.S. provides to Egypt each year.

Briana Vannozzi sat down with former Congressman Tom I let out ski who was cochair of the Egypt human rights caucus in the house.

He gave his share and how our government should handle Egypt moving forward.

Briana: Thank you for joining me.

I appreciate your time.

The details regarding Egypt may not have been the sexiest part of the indictment, given the gold bars and cash.

But, you are the house cochair of Egypt human rights caucus.

At the time, allegedly, that these meetings and arrangements were happening.

What struck you when you read the indictment?

>> Egypt is the number two recipient of foreign aid.

Or, was the norm -- it $1.3 billion in military aid every year.

It is a brutal, corrupt dictatorship.

I always felt that we don't get a great deal from this relationship that we have with the generals who run Egypt.

When I was in the house, with my other colleagues, we tried to put restrictions on that money and otherwise hold the Egyptian government accountable.

Knowing now that number one, the Egypt shins may have been running an influence operation targeting the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and apparently the chair of the committee was kind of running the side deal with them at the time, that's really troubling.

Briana: Senator Menendez would have been in on those negotiations, would he not?

Regarding aid or withholding aid?

>> Senator Menendez, as the chairman of the committee, would have had the ability single-handedly to block aid to Egypt and other countries.

Of course, tremendous influence on other legislation that would have been moving or not moving.

I don't know exactly what role he played at all times behind the scenes.

I can't tell you that the decisions he made were influenced by these extracurricular activities that were described in the indictment.

It does cast a cloud of suspicion on the decisions that the Senate was making at the time.

Briana: Do away with this notion that Egypt has not really seen U.S. assistance as a point of leverage.

It seems, as alleged in the indictment, that this military aid and this other assistant was quite valuable to them.

Our code is extremely valuable.

$1.3 billion.

That is a lot of money.

Particularly in a small country like Egypt.

They have been getting it for decades.

They see it as an entitlement.

Which I think is a problem.

They don't do very much for us in exchange for this money.

There have been many efforts led by human rights advocates in the United States to try to cut or restrict that aid.

So, having a powerful member of the Senate, having their backs, if that is indeed what happened here, would be a very good get for them.

We have all come together to say Menendez should resign.

I think it speaks well of the Democrat party.

It shows we have at least one, normal, healthy party in America.

One that will hold its own members accountable when they violate the standards and the principles that our party holds dear.

Briana: Tom Malinowski.

Thank you for joining me.

>> Workers strikes have become common.

It appears another could be possible if the teaching staff at the New Jersey Institute of technology in Newark doesn't finalize a contract.

Workers are going on 15 months without a contract.

Ted Goldberg explains, they are frustrated by the speed.

>> Five months ago, some of NJIT's employees were frustrated to work without a contract.

>> We have been trying to negotiate in good faith and we put our proposals out in October and they didn't respond until weeks ago.

Do you know what they offered us?

Zero.

>> Now, it has been 15 months since the contract ended between NJIT and the union representing its postop students, PhD workers and adjunct professors pared >> we have had agreements on smaller items, but bigger items like wages, we are still negotiating.

We are waiting for counterproposals from management letter sent last October.

>> they have resorted to stalling and diversionary tactics.

For the first couple of months, they wouldn't even meet with the adjunct professors in the same room even though we are represented by the same union.

>> Nicholas DeBakey is a PhD student at NJ IP who has researched magnetic materials for five years.

>> I will be graduating next April.

>> He only half joking.

He went to an on-campus protest last weekend was arrested.

>> police were waiting for us.

Other protesters came to stand in between me and the police, but the cop pulled me out.

Spun me around.

Marched me out the door.

They handed me over to the Rutgers cops and took me across MLK Boulevard there.

They took me to the police station and wrote me a ticket.

>> he was charged with disorderly conduct and given a ticket.

The charge was voided Tuesday, but he worries he won't be the last union member to face arrest during protest.

>> there was a quick turnaround on this, because it would be indefensible to pursue these charges.

The idea that the University might think it is a good thing to use the police to discipline an aggrieved workforce is troubling.

I am fine, nobody got hurt, but we don't want this to happen again.

>> in response, NJIT sent a statement which reads in part, we recognize and support the rights of protest and public spaces.

The environment in the building that was being used for classes, research and collaborative work was repeatedly disrupted despite multiple pleas for protesters to respect the academic space and weight to enter the public meeting before continuing their chant.

NJIT also says its latest contract offer includes pay raises and more benefits.

But that has not stopped union members from preparing for a strike, taking inspiration from Rutgers.

>> none of us want to strike.

We want to settle this quickly and get on with teaching and research.

But if it becomes necessary, we are prepared.

>> We treat them as a sibling unit.

They are one of our extended Rutgers family.

We have made it very clear to them, we are prepared to lend support in any material way that we can.

>> Brian Sachs leads the adjuncts union.

NJIT workers have asked for advice on how to move forward with a strike.

>> the most important thing that I or anybody can say to a union is, build your power.

Get your members behind you.

You're only as strong as what your members are willing to do.

>> The union tells me it's biggest demands are raises, wages and health care.

>> Washington lawmakers have less than 24 hours to pass a stock act spending bill.

The deadline is tomorrow at midnight.

Today, House Republicans shot down Kevin McCarthy's proposed bills, a faction of far right conservatives voting no.

The house has agreed on three long-term spending bills that would fund Defense, state and Homeland security, but to avoid a shut down, the House and Senate have to pass the same bill.

If there is a shut down, services here in New Jersey would be interrupted.

Small business loans would stop processing.

Federal workers including Armed Forces members would be furloughed.

Social supports like food and other benefits for children and families would be halted and national parks would close.

Here's how the markets closed to end the week.

Be sure to catch NJ busy bee.

This week, Hispanic Heritage month.

Highlighting how the business community contributes to the state.

And the barriers they face in starting and running a small business.

Saturday at 5:00 and Sunday at 9:30 on NJPBS.

If you have been outside today, you know the roads are a mess.

This afternoon, government -- Governor Murphy issued a stage of -- state of emergency.

Flashlights have been reported across the state with one water rescue happening in feeler -- Fairfield.

Warnings have been in place with the shore taking the brunt of this weather system.

All of this because rain fell at a rate of one to two inches per hour today.

Up to seven inches are expected to fall by the end of the night.

It has also meant flight delays out of Newark and New York.

New York has been under a state of emergency since this morning.

Do not expect a break from the rain, it is expected to rain through Saturday, bringing rainfall totals to 13 inches in the Township of Holmdel.

Farmworkers are often overlooked delay, their work conditions have worsened with rising temperatures forcing them to work in extreme heat and life-threatening conditions.

Karen Yi and producer Michael Warren took a closer look at the realities facing farmworkers.

Thanks for being here.

Such an important topic.

We talk about the impact of climate change on farming and crops, we rarely talk about the impact on farmworkers.

Karen, I want to understand, what are some of these conditions?

>> we are talking about 25,000 workers who come to the state for the season.

These workers live predominantly on the farms.

If they are here on special work visas, the farmers have to provide housing on-site.

You're talking about a population living and social isolation, miles from sidewalks and roads.

Workers coming from other countries, don't speak English.

They really rely on the farmers for access to cars to go to the grocery store or to even get basic hygiene products and they rely on the farmers for their way of living.

>> what other dangers they are facing when they are on the job?

The climate is warming, they are dealing with extreme heat.

Break to that -- break that down.

>> we have to realize that new Georgie, since 1895, has warmed by 3.5 degrees.

We have seen that play out in terms of warmer summers and warmer winters and the number of days that reach 90 to 95 degrees is increasing.

These workers are out in the fields outdoors doing hard work.

They are sweating, lots of physical exertion for eight to 10 hours a day.

On particularly hot days if they do not have enough shade or water, or time to take a break, they can push their bodies into states of heat exhaustion or heat stroke into those are serious conditions that could lead to hospitalization or death.

>> they have lead to death, yes?

>> yes.

>> what are the protections they are looking for or advocates say should be granted to them?

>> there is no federal heat center.

That process could take seven years.

There is no time to lose.

Some farmworkers nationally are 35 times more likely to die than other work is.

At the state level, there have been bills to mandate shaded areas or pay breaks but it has not got much movement.

Advocates are looking to the federal level to see, can we get some rules in place to ask for basic things like ice water.

Breaks after a couple of hours in the heat when it gets to a certain temperature.

They are living in substandard housing as well.

One of the things you are reporting is that they are often not even drinking water because they are paid by what they produce.

Water break means they have to use a restroom, so these could be extremely dangerous, than they have no air conditioning.

There's very few legal protections in place.

It is a farm by farm basis.

Some growers take better care of their workers and others.

Especially with the housing standards, if workers are here on the H2 AV's, they have some level of protection.

There are some basic standards.

But if you are here and you have a different legal status, there really is no rules for the conditions you may be living in.

That is important in the peak of the summer when you have been out in the fields all day, your body temperature is up.

If you can't rest.

They also cannot unionize.

Only a few states allow that.

What are advocates calling for a New Jersey?

>> there have been rules proposed to extend the bargaining rights under the National Labor Relations act.

That would give them a seat at the table and a voice to demand some protections.

>> thank you both for your great reporting.

The hospital can be a scary place for kids when they have to stay there.

At St. Joseph's in Patterson, a program called child life is offering their youngest just a little bit of comfort and fun while they bravely battle their diagnosis.

This week, I had a chance to visit the department at St. Joseph's and to meet a couple little girls.

>> we had to put the -- again.

>> Do you want to use the real one this time?

You can help a.

We can do it together.

>> Sophia thinks she is playing.

She is, but she is also working through her fear of needles, something she has to deal with now is a patient here in Patterson.

That is where the child life specialists come in.

>> the typical reaction is they are going to be anxious and scared because nobody wants to be here.

It is a scary place.

Our job is to make it not so scary.

>> the specialists are trained to take care of the emotional needs of the child in a health care setting.

Elizabeth's colonoscopy just learned she had cancer.

>> I am there with the family to help them understand what cancer is.

We have books and videos that mimic exactly what they are going to go through.

>> Just like with Elmo, they help the kids understand through a practice called medical play.

>> we use medical play everyday.

It is a really fun way to actually use real-life medical supplies.

We explained step-by-step in an appropriate way the sensory thing.

There's going to be the rubber band on there.

>> it is it worse than the needle?

>> the worse.

>> yeah.

>> validating feelings.

We don't like, there is going to be a poke and it does sometimes hurt.

Offering choices is the most important partner they can gain that sense of control back.

>> just his heart?

You're in charge.

>> The specialists spend a lot of time just playing with the kids to help them feel less like they are in a hospital and help them feel like they are at home.

>> Good job.

>> They have a number of supports for kids with sensory and other needs.

>> This machine is a sensory machine that we use for a very wide variety of patients.

It allows the kids to feel more comfortable while they are here.

>> To heal, the child needs to be healed in various aspects.

Not just the body, but the mind and the spirit.

That is what child life does.

>> I feel excited and happy because I like being here because it is fun.

You get to do whatever you want.

Everybody is really nice here.

>> Perhaps most unique about the program, it operates solely on donations.

Right now it is fully funded through an accounting firm in Parsippany.

>> Being able to support all of the resources they need to take care of children, the crafts, the special therapies like art therapy and music therapy.

Having characters come in.

>> Looks like toys for holidays.

Christmas, they go home with a big bag of toys.

We have big birthday celebrations.

Even if the kids are too sick to play, we have colorful blankets and pillows.

>> To end this month of childhood cancer awareness, saxes holding a 4K.

>> Anyone can register.

There is a run and there is a run and there's a walk and there's some kids.

>> The walk is tomorrow in precip and A.

Some patients from St. Joseph's are actually able to attend.

It is how the hospital ensures its program continues to reach all of the kids.

Announcer: supporters brought to you by Horizon Blue Cross of New Jersey.

>> That is up for us tonight.

This weekend, tune into Reporters Roundtable as David Cruz talks to Ashley Koning of the Eagles Institute of politics about the fallout of Menendez plus what is at stake for statewide legislative races in November.

That's tomorrow at 10:00.

On Chuck Fox, a one-on-one with Andy Kim after he announced he would run against Senator Menendez following indictment.

I am Joanna Gagis.

Thanks for being with us.

Have a great weekend and we will see you back here on Monday.

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